Organisations
Below is a list of significant youth oriented organisations in Australia. This list is always expanding, if you notice a gap let us know.
Student Leadership Development
AIESEC is a global, non-political, independent, not-for-profit organization run by students and recent graduates of institutions of higher education. Our members are interested in world issues, leadership and management.
Focus on promoting the cultural, social, economic, political, environmental and spiritual interests and participation of young people in all aspects of society.
The Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) is Australia's non-government youth affairs peak body. AYAC's formation is the result of several years of work by state and territory youth affairs peaks and a number of national youth sector organisations, following the wind-up of the previous peak body AYPAC in 1999.
Environment
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition's mission is to build a generation wide movement to solve climate change before it is too late. We do this through uniting all major youth organisations, and over 50,000 young Australians, to achieve short-term influence and long-term cultural change. Our members and partners coordinate, communicate and network with each other to run shared projects and campaigns to facilitate young Australians taking action to solve the climate crisis in our schools, TAFEs, Universities and communities.
Engagement with the Federal Government
The Australian Youth Forum (AYF) is run by the Australian Government as a communication channel between the Government, young people and the organisations that work with, for and on behalf of young people. The AYF engages young people through this website, and also in person at forums and community activities. It brings young people, the youth sector and the Australian Government closer together, and gives them an opportunity to be heard.
Youth Mentoring
The Australian Youth Mentoring Network, Australia's peak mentoring body, is a national hub for youth mentoring research, tools and resources. AYMN work with interested youth mentoring organisations and practitioners to foster the growth and development of high quality mentoring programs for young people in Australia by providing a national base of collaboration, support, guidance and expertise
A network of high-impact young people that develop and implement new solutions to society's problems.
Brightest Young Minds is an initiative that attracts young people that are passionate about exploring ideas and implementing solutions to the current problems confronting society. Brightest Young Minds hunts for the hearts and inspires the minds of young people to improve society through consultation, networks and action.
Focus on creating a better life for children and young people in care
CREATE Foundation, formerly known as the Australian Association of Young People in Care (AYPIC) was founded in 1993 by Jan Owen. It is the peak body representing the voices of all children and young people in out-of-home care.
Focus on empowering young Australians to be successful learners and creative, active and valued citizens.
The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) recognises great potential in all young people. We work relentlessly to improve the way young Australians learn, the way they lead and the way they live.
International Diplomacy
Connecting young Australians with the world. Australian liaison for delegations to APEC, G20 and other forums abroad!
Focus on helping millions of young people lead happier lives.
The Inspire Foundation was established in 1996 in direct response to Australia's then escalating rates of youth suicide.
IYPF focuses on highly influential position Young Professionals (21 to 40) have within these organisation to make change happen.
The International Young Professionals Foundation is an organisation focused on the role corporations and the individuals within them to make a better world, specifically their contribution to the Millennium Development Goals
Politics
Left Right Think-Tank is Australia’s first independent, non-partisan think-tank of young minds with a mission
to involve young people in public policy. Our vision is for a society that seeks and embraces the ideas of young people.
Engaging Marginalised Youth
Mayibuye is a non-profit organization with a vision to keep youth off the streets, away from gang activity, crime and substance abuse, using performing arts.
Global Poverty
The Oaktree Foundation is an aid and development organisation run by young people under the age of 26 with the goal to help end global poverty. Oaktree believe that education is the most powerful force that can be used to change the world. Oaktree takes action by partnering with developing communities to make educational opportunities reality. This is done by supporting educational projects in developing communities, as well as bringing young people together to campaign on issues of global poverty in the Australian context.
Engagement in Democracy
Our Say is a new online forum that has been set up by a group of young people(Gautam Raju, Eyal Halamish, Matthew Gordon and Linh Do) which aims to engage more people in political debate. Their vision was to connect democracy with social media.
To empower people (youth, adults, corporates & communities) to discover & use their unique passions & abilities to work for social & environmental change of personal significance to them.
OzGREEN educates, engages and empowers young people, adults, corporations and communities to tackle critical environmental sustainability challenges (such as climate change and water) and become leaders of positive social change.
Social Innovation
Project Australia works in the field of 'social innovation' - the process of community-focussed organisations and individuals engaging with social needs in novel ways. More specifically, they help out early-scale social innovation - the stage right after you have had a good idea but wonder what to do next!
We always strive to engage the community with our activities and endeavour to forge long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships via our domestic and international projects.
SWY Australia is a contemporary and exciting organisation involved in a mosaic of initiatives and projects. We always strive to engage the community with our activities and endeavour to forge long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships via our domestic and international projects.
SYN focus on training and offers young people aged 12-25 the skills and platforms to be creators, not consumers, of media.
SYN is a youth-run media organisation that provides training and broadcast opportunities for young Australians.
Disadvantaged Youth
Tia International endeavours to work together with communities to empower and make sustainable change to the lives of children and adolescents facing the hardships that are associated with poverty and disadvantage, with the end goal of enabling them to reach their full potential through long-term community development.
Student Skill Development & Engagement
UNYA Australia, believing in the purposes and principles of the United Nations, aims to encourage young people to strive towards a greater understanding of global issues, and to educate them about the United Nations' structure, functions and future.
Youth Media
Vibewire Youth Inc. is a dynamic non-profit organisation that supports young people to effectively shape their world through media, arts and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Focus on creating sustainable develpoment projects, working with the local children as well as the greater community.
World Youth International Australia (WYI) is a not for profit, non-religious & non-political international development organisation that offers people over the age of 18 the opportunity to volunteer overseas in a meaningful way.
Womens Rights
The Young UN Women Australia Sydney Committee is a dynamic network of young women and men that aims to encourage the involvement of young women and men in women's development and security, build-up young women's leadership capabilities and contribute and support the work and priority areas of UN Women Australia. We are passionate and excited about the work we do, and keen to have as many people involved as possible!
YACWA vision is to celebrate and engage young people in all aspects of the community. Their role is to strengthen the trust, cooperation, collaboration; professionalism and voice of the non-government youth service sector to better serve the young people of Western Australia.
The Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia (YACWA) is the peak non-government youth organisation in Western Australia. We operate primarily as a human rights organisation that seeks to address the exclusion of young people in a rapidly changing society. YACWA aims to provide a united, independent and active advocate for the non-government youth sector and young people that is both supported and respected by the sector and the wider community.
Volunteering and Leadership
Youth Leadership Australia is a platform for the engagement and activation of young people in volunteering and leadership development across Australia. Its goal is to make it easier to get involved in volunteering and leadership development by providing an online directory of current opportunities, campaigns, programs, and organisations.
Youth Volunteering & Engagement
Youth Tree is a youth-run not-for-profit organisation that uses creativity and fun to involve young people in volunteering. We are looking for some seriously switched on people to join our volunteer staff as we strive to make volunteering as mainstream as cheeseburgers and breathing.
Youth Empowerment
Youth Without Borders(YWB) is a Queensland based apolitical, nondenominational organisation. YWB are happy to work with religious organisations of any denomination on projects to engage, uplift and benefit youth from all walks of life and backgrounds. YWB strives to empower youth to work together for the implementation of positive change within their communities.
Youth Mental Health
Youthbeyondblue is a national, independent, not-for-profit organisation working to address issues associated with depression, anxiety and related substance misuse disorders in Australia.